Need a book? Why not walk down to the large birdhouse-like structure in your neighbor’s yard and grab one?

It shouldn’t be hard to find one. Enough Little Free Libraries have popped up where people can donate or pick up books for free that Denver will be honored Tuesday with the City of Distinction award from the national organization that got the exchange movement going.

“We’ve watched Denver for a long time and Denver’s done some marvelous things,” Little Free Library founder Todd Bol said. “Denver’s one of our absolute leading cities in the country, right up there with L.A.”

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One or two Little Free Libraries in a neighborhood or city is a novelty, Bol said. But “once you started to get more than that — like Denver’s — now it becomes the fabric of the community.”

Metro Denver has more than 500 registered Little Free Libraries. Bol said the book exchanges started in the metro area around 2011 or 2012, leading the way ahead of Boston, New York, Seattle and Portland. The first Little Free Library was set up in Wisconsin in 2009 and has since grown to more than 50,000 around the world — not including the ones that pop up without an official registration.

Bol will present the award Tuesday to representatives from the Colorado State Library, Denver Public Library and Colorado Lt. Governor’s office

Give crime writer Michael Connelly credit. He knows that the career and shelf life of his greatest creation -- the laconic but always determined Harry Bosch -- is spiraling toward a not-too-pretty end.